catnip

noun

cat·​nip ˈkat-ˌnip 

1

: a strong-scented perennial mint (Nepeta cataria) that has whorls of small pale flowers in terminal spikes and contains a substance attractive to cats

2

: something very attractive

Examples of catnip in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Is this the secret sauce, the narrative catnip, that has held viewers in its grip for so long? —Thomas Page, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025

Though the performance was more dance than music, Doja Cat provided enough visual catnip with the former to almost forget about the song. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025

This one's a cracky rom-com that happens to contain my specific kind of catnip, which is a heroine who rekindles the hero’s love of his sport. —Tessa Bailey, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025

Her blend of bombshell and backlash is near lethal catnip for producers. —Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

cat entry 1 + obsolete nep catnip, from Middle English, from Old English nepte, from Latin nepeta

First Known Use

1712, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

catnip

noun

cat·​nip -ˌnip 

: a strong-scented herb of the mint family that is especially attractive to cats

Medical Definition

catnip

noun

cat·​nip -ˌnip 

variants also catnep

-ˌnep, -nəp 

1

: a strong-scented mint (Nepeta cataria) that has small pale flowers in terminal spikes and contains a substance attractive to cats

called also cataria, catmint

2

: cataria sense 2